Andrew Ruoti is no ordinary musician; he’s an educator, a multi-instrumentalist, and a songwriter. Ruoti’s musical journey dates to 1998 when he shared the stage with his father and the lead guitarist Dan Ruoti Sr. A band and collaboration that lasted till 2005 and received high recognition from different critics and its fans, resulting in winning the Rhythm & News Magazine’s most popular band of the Hudson Valley for 3 consecutive years. The NY-based artist just released his latest 5-track album “Odyssey” which he has been putting together since the spring of 2020. The album is philosophical, it allows your emotions to flow and your mind to dive deep into thought and seek answers, it has an abstract and creative concept; each track corresponds to a painting with the sole purpose of adding to the artist’s vision and philosophy of the conceptual album, done by Shelly Luan and digital art editor William S. Pierce. It’s interchangeable; as it combines different moods, genres, elements, and ideas yet all fall under the album’s main concept “Diversity”.
The first track is “State of the World”, an introductory instrumental track with remarkable orchestration and sound effects that depict triumph, struggle, and consistency. Moving to “Special Day” which is a sweeter, lighter tune that radiates hope, love, and raw emotions through Andrew’s soft voice and sweet, optimistic lyrics. The third track “Tribal and Tribulations” is the shortest yet the most interesting, it’s a more intense track with meditative sounds and psychedelic vibes that starts dark and intense evolving to a hopeful and resilient message. Followed by “Deconstruct”, a well-constructed upbeat rock song that takes off the edge of the previous track, letting you sing along and move your head with its beat. The last track, “Odivisha” (Home) brings it all home; your thoughts, and emotions, giving you the perfect ending to the story and a cadence that eases your soul.
The album was produced by Uly Millian, a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer, who also played lead guitar, bass, and keyboard. Gregg Sulzer on drums and Andrew Ruoti on guitar and vocals. The artist managed to give his audience a peek inside his soul by bringing this album to life, it combines all the artist’s knowledge, identity, experience, and professions. The perfect balance between being a musician, a music educator, and a meditation teacher.
